Wrench



T. S. HOSE.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED APII. I6, I92I.

JPIIIIIPIIIIQIR Nov. E59 MEL uNiTED STATES PATENT oFFicE '.rIrUs s. nosa, or LITTLE FALLS, New Yoan.

WRENCH.

Application led April 16, 1921.

ITo all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, Tiros S. Hosr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful llmprovement in Wrenches, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in adjustable jaw, nut and bolt wrenches of that type in which the jaws project lengthwise at one end of the wrench, with their gripping faces at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle of the wrench. ln these wrenches as heretofore most commonly constructed, the movable jaw is' adjusted and held by a knurled worin or screw which is journaled in a transverse opening in the head of the wrench and engages threads or teeth on the edge of the shank of the movable jaw. These adjusting worms cause a slow adjustment of the aw' and they frequently bind and are very hard, or at times even impossible, to turn with the iingers. They also prevent the adjustment of the jaw except by the slow process of turning the worm.

rlhe objects of the invention areI to produce a desirable, convenient wrench of this type, in which the adjustable jaw is securely held in its different adjustments by a clutch or dog which is arranged in the wrench head so that it can be readily actuated to hold and release the movable jaw by means of the thumb and finger of the hand holding the wrench; also to produce a wrench of this sort of a strong and durable construction, which is nevertheless practical from a manufacturing standpoint and inexpensive to produce; also to construct the wrench so that it is essentially a one-hand, wrench in which the jaws can be either opened or closed, easily and quickly to release or engagea nut or bolt without necessitating the removal of the hand from the wrench, and in which the jaws can be easily fitted to anut or bolt in an obscure or inaccessible position without requiring the jaws to be removed from the position straddling the nut or bolt, and also to improve the construction of wrenches in the other respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a wrench embodying the invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921. Serial No. 461,749.

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar fragmentary sectional elevations thereof showing two different positions of the movable jaw.

Fig. 4L is a fragmentary edge elevation of the head portion of the wrench as seen from the right in F ig. l.

Fig. 5 is a cross section thereof on line 55, F ig. 2.

F ig. 6 is a transverse longitudinal section thereof on line 6-6, Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the movable jaw, detached.

F1 8 is a perspective view of the jawholding clutch or device detached.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevation on an enlarged scale, showing the holding teeth on the clutch and movable jaw.

rlhe wrench comprises, as usual in wrenches of this type, a shank or handle l, an enlargement or head 2 at one end of the handle, a fixed jaw 3 which is integral with and projects from the outer end of the head with its gripping face at an angle, usually of approximately 22-1- degrees, to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and a movable jaw a which slides toward and from. the fixed jaw in a guide in the head 2 and has a gripping face parallel with the grippingface of the fixed jaw. For slidably mounting the movable jaw on the head, it has the usual narrow, elongated shank 5 which extends through a narrow slot 6 in the. outer end of the head and is formed with a laterally enlarged or flanged inner edge conned in an 'enlargement 7 of the narrow shank slot 6.

This slot enlargement 7 is preferably cylindrical, thus adapting. it to be drilled, and the enlarged edge portion 6 of the jaw shank is preferably of segmental, cylindrical shape in cross section and slidably fits the cylindrical hole 7. The movable jaw is held from tipping so that its gripping face is always parallel with the opposed gripping face of the lixed jaw by the flanged edge of the shank and by shoulders 8 on the jaw bearing against the outer edge of the head at the sides of the guide slot.

The clutch or device for releasably hold- -ing the movable jaw in different adjustments consists of a block 9 which is confined in an opening l0 extending transversely through the head of the wrench beneath the movable jaw. The clutch block 9 is arranged to slide endwise in this opening 10 toward and from the inner edge of the shank of the movable jaw, and the clutch block is provided at its outer end with transverse ratchet teeth adapted to enga-ge corresponding ratchet teeth 11 on the inner edge of the jaw shank. The teeth on the clutch block and movable jaw, see Fig. 9, have abrupt faces and inclined faces .arranged so that when the teeth of the clutch engage the teeth of the jaw, the jaw will be held from movement away from the fixed jaw but can be pushed toward the fixed jaw. Preferably the toothed edges of the shank and the clutch are not parallel with the guide edges of the jaw guide and the direction of movement of the movable jaw, b ut are oblique thereto and the abrupt faces of the teeth are` perpendicular to the plane of these oblique edges. On account of this disposition of the teeth on the clutch and jaw, the abrupt faces of the teeth are at an inclination to the direction of movement of the jaw instead of perpendicular thereto, and outward pressure on the jaw such as is produced when attempting to turn a nut or bolt with the wrench, tends to Wedge the teeth of the jaw and clutch more firmly into engagement and prevent the slipping of the teeth and the possible releasing ofthe jaw. This oblique .disposition of the teeth also adapts the teeth to ride over each other more easily whenmoving the adjustable jaw toward the fixed jaw, so that only slight pressure on the jaw is required to adjust it inwardly. The jaw shank is suii'ciently thick at its inner end to prevent removal of the jaw from its guide without the necessity of a special stop for this purpose.

The side faces of the clutch block 9 are exposed at opposite sides of the Wrench so that the block can be grasped between the thumb and forefinger of the hand holding the wrench and moved to engage or release the movable'jaw, and these side faces of the clutch' block are preferably knurled or roughened as indicated at 12 to prevent the fingers from slipping. The clutch block is pressed toward and adapted to be normally held in engagement with the toothed edgeof the movable jaw by a. spring 13 which is preferably a coil spring confined in a socket 14 in the inner end of the clutch block and bearing against the adjacent end of the opening 10. Preferably the inner end of the clutch block is recessed or provided at its opposite sides with lips 15 and the adjacent edge of the opening 10 is reduced or beveled at 16, thereby adapting this reduced edge to extend in between the lips 15. The clutch block can, therefore, be slipped into place in its opening 10 while the lips 15 nevertheless overlap the reduced edge of the opening 10 and conceal the operating spring 13 for the clutch block. The clutch block is slidably retained in place in the opening 10, preferably by screws 17 and 18 which am screwed into threaded holes in the Wrench -head at opposite sides of the clutch opening block will be held from lateral displace-A ment from the opening 10, but by retracting the screws until their inner ends are withdrawn from the grooves 19, the clutch block can be inserted into and removed sidewise from the opening10. If desired, the screws 17 and 18 can be driven in so as to hold the clutch block stationary and thus secure the movable jaw rigidly in position to. fit a given size of nut or olt. This is desirable when working repeatedly on one size of nut. The adjustment cannot be lost by applying strain one or more times. Thisconstructionprovvides a very simple, practical and stron way of slidably mounting the clutch bloc in the wrench.

The outer end of the shank 5 of the movi able jaw is preferably formed with a flat faced enlargement or button 21 on which the thumb or finger is adapted to bear for pushing the movable jaw inwardly. This button 21 is preferably beveled at its inner side and adapted to enter a correspondingly countersunk seat 22 in the head of the wrench in order to permit greater inward movement' of the movable jaw.

The wrench constructed as described is essentially a one-hand wrench adapted to be manipulated to engage it with and fit it to a nut or bolt and permit the release and removal of the wrench entirely by means of the hand which holds the wrench. In applying the wrench to a nut or bolt, the movable jaw can be moved inwardly into engagement with the nut or bolt by pressure of the thumb on the lbutton 21, without hurting the thumb, the clutch block yielding and permitting such inward movement of the jaw. To release the jaw, it is only necessary to pull the clutch block 9 downwardly and press the movable jaw against the nut or bolt. In this waythe movable jaw can be adjusted either toward or from the fixed jaw and held, entirely by means of the hand holding the wrench and without necessity of removing the wrench entirely from the .nut or bolt which it is desired to turn, even vided with an arrow or index 24 for c0 operation with the graduated scale. The

movable jaw is set to the proper position for a nut or bolt of given size by adjusting the jaw until the arrow registers with the scale division indicating that size of nut or bolt.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination in a wrench having a head provided with a iixed jaw, said head having a slot therein, of a movable jaw, a shank on said movable jaw and engaging said slot to guide said movable jaw toward and from said fixed jaw, ratchet teeth on said movable jaw and disposed in a. plane oblique to the direction of movement of said shank in said slot, and means in said head for releasably engaging said ratchet teeth to hold said movable jaw in one or more positions relatively to said fixed jaw.

2. The combination in a wrench havin a head and jaws, one of which jaws is a justable toward and from the other and is provided with ratchet teeth, of a clutch slidable into and out of engagement with said ratchet teeth for holding and releasing said adjustable jaw, said .clutch being confined 1n a transverse opening in said head With its sides exposed at opposite sides of the head whereby the clutch can be grasped between the thumb and finger for actuating it, said clutch having a recess in one end into which the corresponding edge of said opening projects, and an actuating spring for the clutch concealed in said recessed end of the clutch and bearing upon said projecting edge of said opening.

3. The combination in a wrench having a head and jaws, one of which jaws is adjustable toward and from the other and is provided with ratchet teeth, of a spring actuated clutch slidable into and out of engagement with said ratchet teeth for holding and releasing said adjustable jaw,` Said clutch being confined in a transverse opening in the head with its sides exposed at opposite sides of the head whereby the clutch can be grasped between the thumb and finger for actuating it, said clutch bein insertible into j and removable from said openin through the end thereof at one side of the head, and a member in said head and entering a groove in said clutch for retaining the clutch in said opening.

4. The combination in a wrench having jaws, one of lwhich is adjustable toward and from the other and is provided with ratchet teeth, of a spring-actuated clutch slidable into and out of engagement with said ratchet teeth for holding and releasing said adjustable jaw, said clutch being confined in a transverse opening in the wrench with its sides exposed at opposite sides of the wrench whereby the clutch can be grasped between the thumb and finger for actuating it, said clutch being insertible into and removable from said opening through the end thereof at one side of the wrench, and screws in said Wrench projecting into grooves in opposite edges of said clutch for retaining the clutch in said openin 5. The comblnation in a wrench havi jaws, one of which is adjustable toward an from the otherand is provided with ratchet teeth, of a slidable clutch havi ratchet teeth adapted to engage the ratc et teeth of the adjustable jaw for holding said jaw, said ratchet teeth being disposed in planes oblique to the direction of movement of said adjustable jaw.

6. The combination in a wrench having a head and jaws, one of which jaws is adjustable toward and from the other and is provided with ratchet teeth, of a transverse opening through said head, a clutch in said opening in the head and having ratchet teeth for engaging the ratchet teeth on said adjustable jaw, means for releasably pressing said clutch toward said adjustable jaw to engage said ratchet teeth, opposite sides of said clutch being exposed at opposite ends of said opening in said head, said clutch having longitudinal rooves in opposite edges within said head, and means in said head releasably engaging the grooved portions of said clutch for preventing uninzlentonal removal of said clutch from said TITUS S. HOSE. 

